Yukiko- the snow child
by kitlily
Summary: 18 years after the war and there's peace and it's been that way for awhile. The story is about Yukiko (Yuki), Zuko and Kataras only child, and her ventures into adult life. She's faced with the dilemma of never being kissed, and finding a strange attraction to Toph's eldest son. Who is known for breaking hearts.


Chapter 1

Breakfast Drama

Yuki stared lazily down at her plate of food, trying hard to stifle a yawn. She wanted to go back to bed. It was a Saturday for Christ sake! The day was meant for lye-ins. But no, she had been woken up a couple of hours earlier than she would have liked. It seemed the older she got, the earlier she would have to wake. She was dreading her birthday. It was tomorrow, and had been dreading the day for almost an entire year. Sixteen was all good and fine. But, seventeen, seemed like an entirely new concept. She looked at her father who was sat at the head of the table. His eyes darting across the newspaper that sat in front of his, instead of breakfast. By his left hand, a cup tea that steamed on constant. She looked at her mother who sat opposite her. Her pale blue eyes never leaving the scroll that sat in front of her. A peach in her left hand it chewing absently. Her right hand in her fathers, his thumb lazily brushing her knuckles every so often. Fire lord Zuko and Lady Katara. The Lord and Lady of the fire nation. Still loving each other after seventeen and a half years of marriage, and their daughter Princess Yuki, the only known bender of both fire and water. It had sounded so cool up until three years ago. Now though it felt like they were dragging on about the amazing significance of her birth. But she had no right to complain. She knew how privileged she was. She had a loving family that loved her for who she was. Cousins who were more like siblings. Even though they lived half a world away. She had everything she would ever and had ever needed. She could set aside the fact that she didn't have any friends that lived in the fire nation. The fact that she's never been kissed. She would never voice her complaints; never let her feelings be shown. Because she knew she was lucky.

Finally bored at the silence, she got up and excused herself from the table. Her parents barely looked up from their reading On the way back to her room a servant who was in charge of her schedule, told her what her day looked like. It was going to be a long boring Saturday filled with meetings, lessons and training. She was dressed and went out to get on with her day. Her prediction of it being a long and boring day where true. So when she got to her room later that night she fell straight into a deep sleep, forgetting entirely about dinner. She dreamed that her cousins where there when she woke up. That she didn't have to get out of bed until late afternoon. Didn't have to go to lessons or training. She dreamed of birthday she would have liked, the one she silently hoped for.

Her dreams where cut short when her curtains where pulled open, leaking the sun in. She groaned and cursed at the maid, who apologized profusely. Feeling bad as well she said she was sorry and blamed it on the lack of sleep. The maid then told her that her mother and father where up and at the breakfast table. Yuki rolled out bed, combed her fingers through her hair, and went out in to the dining room where breakfast was waiting. Seeing the chocolate covered pancakes, reminded her that she had skipped dinner. Sitting down quickly, she tucked into the pancakes like there was no tomorrow.  
"Good morning dear." Her parents said.  
"Morning." She said with a mouthful. Her mother scowled at her and her father chuckled quietly. After a good 15 minutes of eating and drinking coffee. Yuki remembered it was her birthday. This made her feel better about indulging herself on a few more choc-chip pancakes then was strictly necessary. But then, after a moment, a few things clicked into place. Her parents hadn't said happy birthday to her. But then she thought maybe she just didn't her them. Or maybe she was wrong; maybe she had the dates wrong. Trying hard to cover the sudden panic in her voice, she asked her father what the date was. Checking the top of the paper he said:

"It's the…27th of September."

Okay, so it was her birthday. She waited to see whether the date would resonate with her parents. No facial expressions changed. Nothing else was said. They just went back to doing what they did every morning. Holding hands, reading, her father with his tea and her mother with her stupid peaches. She was angry now. They knew she hated surprises, so if this was one she'd loathe them. After a moment she said she was full, and left the table. Her parents barely even noticed. On the way back to her room, the schedule maid came and told her that her day was pretty much exactly like yesterday's. Fighting back tears she locked herself in her room. Tears rolling down her face. She wiped them away angrily. Then tried to remember what her other birthdays where like. She had gotten up by herself, at a good hour. There had been no lessons, her parents had cleared their schedules and they'd spent the day together. Sometimes her cousins and friends would come and they'd all celebrate it together. What bothered her more than them just forgetting her birthday, which she was very much bothered about; was the fact that her own father had forgotten her birthday. But only because he could tell you the exact time and date she lost her first, second and third tooth. What her first hair cut looked like and who cut it. He could tell you her favourite colour, instrument, dress, shoes, animal, shop, food, dessert and many more things that most people would forget. So for him to forget her birthday was like a world without oxygen. Which Yuki was struggling to find right about now.

Once she'd calmed herself she decided that she wasn't going to give her parents the satisfaction of telling them it was her birthday. She was going to pretend like nothing had happened, like it was just another boring day, in her long life. But that little voice in her head kept reminding her. '_They forgot your birthday. They don't love you.' _


End file.
